Manufacture of seamless hosiery.



PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

E. E. KILBOURN. MANUFAGTURE 0F SEAMLBSS HOSIERY.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.30. 1903.

UNrrED l STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD E. KILBOURN, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, lNEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE KILBOUBN KNITTING MACHINE COMPANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented may 29, 190e.

Application filed January 30, 1903. Serial No. 141.128.

facture of Seamless Hosiery; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to the manufacture ofseamless hosiery, and more particularly to the manufacture of seamless lace or open-work stockings, in which a solid plainknit portiony precedes the lace or open-work of the stocking.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of a stocking having sections of open-work at two different parts .of the same. Fig. 2 is a view of a half-hose having lace-work around the leg with lacework extending down upon the foot. Fig. 3 is a detail of the loops as they appear at the point where the loops of Ytwo needles are cast 0H to form the lace stitch.

In making the class of stockings described it is desirable to have a solid plainknit portion at the top of the leg of the stocking or full-length hose for the welt or hem, and in the half-hose it is desirable to knit a greater or less portion just below the vribbed top. When the stocking or half-hose is knit in this way, at a certain point it is necessary to-drop certain stitches to form the lacework, and it then becomesy necessary to secure the loop thrown off in order that they may not ravel back into the plain knitting.l

In calse the point of beginning the open or lace work is immediately below the welt or line of stitching securing the hem of the stocking the welt or hem will hold the drop-stitches from opening out beyond this point.

If the open or lace work is to begin at any point or points below the welt or hem of a stocking or below the ribbed top of a halfhose, the cast-off loops may be secured by a hand-'crocheting of such loops or by a line of stitching. sewed by hand or machine. Either f of these modes will effect the result desired:

but such drop-stitches may also be secured by causing certain of the needles to be operated to knit tuck-stitches for one or more courses in'unediately preceding the casting off of the loops. This latter method is the'one I prefer, as it can be eected by the knittingmachine and during the knitting of the 'stocking. lIn case plain knitting vis resumed at any part or entirely around the stocking and a further section of open or lace work is begun the drop-stitches can be again secured in the same manner.

In the drawings, A indicates the leg, and B the foot, of the stocking. a indicates the lacework-stitches, and b the plain-knit portions for joining the toe. b indicates a band pl'f pllain lknitting around the ankle above the -In Fig. 3 I have shown, in an enlarged view, the loops as they appear at the point of casting off the loops of two needles and at the point where certain needles have just knit tuck-stitches to hold the previous plain knitted work. Such stitches are indicated by the reference-letter c. In this instance I have shown a tuck-stitch on each side of the dropped stitch; and this arrangement is found to prevent the dropped loops from raveling back into the plain knitting. It is not necessary to use a tuck-stitch on each side of the dropped stitch; but this is my preferred mode of proceeding. I have shown these tuck-stitches in two courses; but they may be in a greater number of courses or they may be made only in a single course, as may be preferred.

In Fig. 1, d indicates a line of hand ormaclfifine sewed stitching to secure the loops cast o What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein described machine knit seamlessv stocking having open-work with IOO of the stocking, and a portion having open- I securing the stitches dropped to begin the 1o work with drop-stitches therein between said open-work, substantially as described. plain portions and tuck-stitches for securing In testimonv whereof I aiiix my signature the stitches to begin such open-work, subin the presence of two witnesses.

stantially as described.

4. A machine-knit seamless stocking hav- E' E'KILBOURN' ing a plain-knitted portion at the top, an Witnesses:.

open-work portion following the saine hav- ROB. G. MILLER, ing drop-stitches therein, and tuck-stitches J. H. WHITAKER! 

